Elevated plasma concentrations of several one-carbon metabolites are associated with increased CVD risk. Both diet-induced regulation and dietary content of one-carbon metabolites can influence circulating concentrations of these markers. We cross-sectionally analysed 1928 patients with suspected stable angina pectoris (geometric mean age 61), representing elevated CVD risk, to assess associations between dietary macronutrient composition (FFQ) and plasma one-carbon metabolites and related B-vitamin status markers (GC–MS/MS, LC–MS/MS or microbiological assay). Diet-metabolite associations were modelled on the continuous scale, adjusted for age, sex, BMI, smoking, alcohol and total energy intake. Average (geometric mean (95 % prediction interval)) intake was forty-nine (38, 63) energy percent (E%) from carbohydrate, thirty-one (22, 45) E% from fat and seventeen (12, 22) E% from protein. The strongest associations were seen for higher protein intake, i.e. with higher plasma pyridoxal 5’-phosphate (PLP) (% change (95 % CI) 3·1 (2·1, 4·1)), cobalamin (2·9 (2·1, 3·7)), riboflavin (2·4 (1·1, 3·7)) and folate (2·1 (1·2, 3·1)) and lower total homocysteine (tHcy) (–1·4 (–1·9, −0·9)) and methylmalonic acid (MMA) (–1·4 (–2·0, −0·8)). Substitution analyses replacing MUFA or PUFA with SFA demonstrated higher plasma concentrations of riboflavin (5·0 (0·9, 9·3) and 3·3 (1·1, 5·6)), tHcy (2·3 (0·7, 3·8) and 1·3 (0·5, 2·2)) and MMA (2·0 (0·2, 3·9) and 1·7 (0·7, 2·7)) and lower PLP (–2·5 (–5·3, 0·3) and −2·7 (–4·2, −1·2)). In conclusion, a higher protein intake and replacing saturated with MUFA and PUFA were associated with a more favourable metabolic phenotype regarding metabolites associated with CVD risk.

The effects of long-term fasting on the prognosis and hospital economy of hospitalised patient have not been established. To clarify the effects of long-term fasting on the prognosis and hospital economy of hospitalised patients, we conducted a prospective observational study on the length of hospital stay of patients hospitalised at thrity-one private university hospitals in Japan. We conducted a prospective observational study on the effects of fasting period length on the length of hospital stay and outcome of patients hospitalised for 3 months in those hospitals. Of the 14 172 cases of hospitalised patients during the target period on the reference day, 770 cases (median 71 years old) were eligible to fast for the study. The length of hospital stay for fasting patients was 33 (4–387) days, which was about 2·4 times longer than the average length of hospital stay for all patients. A comparative study showed the length of hospital stay was significantly longer in the long-term-fasting (fasting period > 10 d; n 386) group than in the medium-term-fasting (< 10 d; n 384) group (median 21 v. 50; P < 0·0001). Although the discharge to home rate was significantly higher in the medium-term-fasting group (71·4 % v. 36·5 %; P < 0·0001), the mortality rate was significantly higher in the long-term fasting group (10·8 % v. 25·8 %; P < 0·0001). It was verified that the longer the fasting period during hospitalisation, the longer the length of hospital stay and lower home discharge rate, thus indicating that patient quality of life and hospital economy may be seriously dameged.

Ultra-processed plant-based foods, such as plant-based burgers, have gained in popularity. Particularly in the out-of-home (OOH) environment, evidence regarding their nutritional profile and environmental sustainability is still evolving. Plant-based burgers available at selected OOH sites were randomly sampled in Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Lisbon and London. Plant-based burgers (patty, bread and condiment) (n 41) were lab analysed for their energy, macronutrients, amino acids and minerals content per 100 g and serving and were compared with reference values. For the plant-based burgers, the median values per 100 g were 234 kcal, 20·8 g carbohydrates, 3·5 g dietary fibre and 12·0 g fat, including 0·08 g TFS and 2·2 g SFA. Protein content was 8·9 g/100 g, with low protein quality according to amino acid composition. Median Na content was 389 mg/100 g, equivalent to 1 g salt. Compared with references, the median serving provided 31% of energy intake based on a 2000 kcal per day and contributed to carbohydrates (17–28%), dietary fibre (42%), protein (40%), total fat (48%), SFA (26%) and Na (54%). One serving provided 15–23% of the reference values for Ca, K and Mg, while higher contributions were found for Zn, Mn, P and Fe (30–67%). The ultra-processed plant-based burgers provide protein, dietary fibre and essential minerals and contain relatively high levels of energy, Na and total fats. The amino acid composition indicated low protein quality. The multifaceted nutritional profile of plant-based burgers highlights the need for manufacturers to implement improvements to better support healthy dietary habits, including reducing energy, Na and total fats.

Intracellular levels of glutathione, the major mammalian antioxidant, are reported to decline with age in several species. To understand whether ageing affects circulating glutathione levels in cats, blood was sampled from two age groups, < 3 years and > 9 years. Further, to determine whether dietary supplementation with glutathione precursor glycine (GLY) affects glutathione concentrations in senior cats (> 8 years), a series of free GLY inclusion level dry diets were fed. Subsequently, a 16-week GLY feeding study was conducted in senior cats (> 7 years), measuring glutathione, and markers of oxidative stress. Whole blood and erythrocyte total, oxidised and reduced glutathione levels were significantly decreased in senior cats, compared with their younger counterparts (P ≤ 0·02). The inclusion level study identified 1·5 % free GLY for the subsequent dry diet feeding study. Significant increases in erythrocyte total and reduced glutathione were observed between senior cats fed supplemented and control diets at 4 weeks (P ≤ 0·03; maximum difference of 1·23 µM). Oxidative stress markers were also significantly different between groups at 8 (P = 0·004; difference of 0·68 nG/ml in 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine) and 12 weeks (P ≤ 0·049; maximum difference of 0·62 nG/mG Cr in F2-isoprostane PGF2α). Senior cats have lower circulating glutathione levels compared with younger cats. Feeding senior cats a complete and balanced dry diet supplemented with 1·5 % free GLY for 12 weeks elevated initial erythrocyte glutathione and altered markers of oxidative stress. Dietary supplementation with free GLY provides a potential opportunity to restore age-associated reduction in glutathione in cats.

We aimed to identify temporal patterns of energy intake and investigate their association with adiposity. We performed a cross-sectional study of 775 adults in Iran. Information about eating occasions across the day was collected by three 24-h dietary recalls. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify temporal eating patterns based on whether or not an eating occasion occurred within each hour of the day. We applied binary logistic regression to estimate the OR and 95 % CI of overweight and obesity (defined as BMI of 25–29·9 and ≥ 30 kg/m2, respectively) across temporal eating patterns while controlling for potential confounders. LCA grouped participants into three exclusive sub-groups named ‘Conventional’, ‘Earlier breakfast’ and ‘Later lunch’. The ‘Conventional’ class was characterised by high probability of eating occasions at conventional meal times. ‘Earlier breakfast’ class was characterised by high probability of a breakfast eating occasion 1 h before the conventional pattern and a dinner eating occasion 1 h after the conventional pattern, and the ‘Later lunch’ class was characterised by a high probability of a lunch eating occasion 1 h after the conventional pattern. Participants in the ‘Earlier breakfast’ pattern had a lower likelihood of obesity (adjusted OR: 0·56, 95 % CI: 0·35, 0·95) as compared with the ‘Conventional’ pattern. There was no difference in the prevalence of obesity or overweight between participants in the ‘Later lunch’ and the ‘Conventional’ patterns. We found an inverse association between earlier eating pattern and the likelihood of obesity, but reverse causation may be a plausible explanation.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of flaxseed on choroid–sclera complex thickness and on LDL oxidation in the sclera, choroid and retina of diet-induced hypercholesterolaemic rabbits. New Zealand male albino rabbits (n 21) were divided into two groups: group 1 (G1; n 11), fed a hypercholesterolaemic diet, and group 2 (G2; n 10), fed a hypercholesterolaemic diet enriched with flaxseed flour. The serum concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), HDL-cholesterol, TAG and fasting blood glucose were determined at the start of the experiment and on the day of killing (8th week). Choroid and sclera samples were subjected to haematoxylin–eosin (HE) staining and histomorphometric and immunohistochemical analyses with the anti-oxidised LDL antibody. Sensory retina samples were subjected to an immunohistochemical analysis with the primary monoclonal nitrotyrosine antibody. At the end of the experiment, a significant increase was observed in TC and LDL-C concentrations in G1 rabbits when compared with G2 rabbits (P= 0·008 and P= 0·02, respectively). HE staining revealed a significant increase in choroid–sclera complex thickness in G1 rabbits when compared with G2 rabbits (P< 0·001). Immunohistochemical analysis of choroid and sclera samples with the anti-oxidised LDL marker revealed a significant increase in immunoreactivity in G1 rabbits when compared with G2 rabbits (P< 0·001). Immunohistochemical analysis of sensory retina samples with the anti-nitrotyrosine marker revealed a significant increase in immunoreactivity in G1 rabbits when compared with G2 rabbits (P= 0·002). Flaxseed reduced the choroid–sclera complex thickness of diet-induced hypercholesterolaemic rabbits and the expression of oxidised LDL in the choroid–sclera complex as well as the expression of nitrotyrosine in the sensory retina.

Previous studies have revealed an association between dietary factors and atopic dermatitis (AD). To explore whether there was a causal relationship between diet and AD, we performed Mendelian randomisation (MR) analysis. The dataset of twenty-one dietary factors was obtained from UK Biobank. The dataset for AD was obtained from the publicly available FinnGen consortium. The main research method was the inverse-variance weighting method, which was supplemented by MR‒Egger, weighted median and weighted mode. In addition, sensitivity analysis was performed to ensure the accuracy of the results. The study revealed that beef intake (OR = 0·351; 95 % CI 0·145, 0·847; P = 0·020) and white bread intake (OR = 0·141; 95 % CI 0·030, 0·656; P = 0·012) may be protective factors against AD. There were no causal relationships between AD and any other dietary intake factors. Sensitivity analysis showed that our results were reliable, and no heterogeneity or pleiotropy was found. Therefore, we believe that beef intake may be associated with a reduced risk of AD. Although white bread was significant in the IVW analysis, there was large uncertainty in the results given the wide 95 % CI. Other factors were not associated with AD in this study.

Malnutrition is a major problem among older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Some studies suggest that well glycaemic control increases the risk of frailty due to reduced intake. Therefore, it could be hypothesised that adequate glycaemic controlled patients may be at risk of malnutrition. This study aimed to examine, in older adults with T2DM, the association between adequate glycaemic control and malnutrition as well as identify the risk factors for malnutrition. Data including general characteristics, health status, depression, functional abilities, cognition and nutrition status were analysed. Poor nutritional status is defined as participants assessed with the Mini Nutritional Assessment as being at risk of malnutrition or malnourished. Adequate glycaemic control refers to an HbA1c level that meets the target base in the American Diabetes Association 2022 guidelines with individualised criteria. There were 287 participants with a median (interquartile range) age of 64 (61–70) years, a prevalence of poor nutrition, 15 %, and adequate glycaemic control, 83·6 %. This study found no association between adequate glycaemic control and poor nutrition (P = 0·67). The factors associated with poor nutritional status were low monthly income (adjusted OR (AOR) 4·66, 95 % CI 1·28, 16·98 for income < £118 and AOR 7·80, 95 % CI 1·74, 34·89 for income £118–355), unemployment (AOR 4·23, 95 % CI 1·51, 11·85) and cognitive impairment (AOR 5·28, 95 % CI 1·56, 17·93). These findings support the notion that older adults with T2DM should be encouraged to maintain adequate glycaemic control without concern for malnutrition, especially those who have low income, unemployment or decreased cognitive functions.

This study systematically reviewed the evidence on interventions seeking to improve Food and Nutrition Literacy (FNLIT) functional, interactive and critical skills in primary school-aged children. Electronic databases, including PubMed/MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Cochrane, Pro-Quest and Google Scholar were systematically searched. Randomised and non-randomised controlled trials, pre-/post-test and case–control designs were included. The primary outcomes were three levels of FNLIT: functional, interactive and critical. All citations, full-text articles and abstract data were screened by two independent reviewers. Any conflicts were then resolved through discussion. The quality of the included studies was individually evaluated using the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) quality assessment tool. Two reviewers extracted data from the included studies, and a descriptive analysis was performed. The quality of all eligible studies (n 19) was rated as moderate/weak. A wide variety of skill-building activities were introduced by programmes, including recipe skills/food preparation, food label literacy, food tasting, gardening harvesting, and supporting cultural practices and ethnic foods. Only four studies measured food literacy (FL) (food label literacy) via a valid measure. Most interventions focused on the functional level of FL, except for two programmes (one scored weak and one scored moderate). In most of the studies, delivery of intervention content was facilitated by teachers (n 15). Promising interventions were tailored to the needs and interests of students, incorporated into the existing curriculum and facilitated by teachers. The successful intervention strategies led to improvements in functional, partly interactive and critical skills. Future interventions should focus, holistically, on all aspects of FNLIT, especially interactive and critical skills.

The long-term impact of weight cycling on health status, eating habits, physical activity and the lifestyle of former combat sports athletes is still insufficiently explored. Therefore, a novel questionnaire in English, Portuguese, Spanish and Croatian language was constructed. To determine the reliability and the content/face validity, a total of 110 participants filled the questionnaire on two occasions. With the majority of intra-class correlation coefficient values above 0·75, the questionnaire items were shown to be very stable. Additionally, according to κ values, the questionnaire has fair test–retest reliability, with only one coefficient being labelled as poor (Q40 in ESP). All questionnaire sub-scales showed moderate to very good internal consistency when the overall sample was observed (α ranging from 0·605 to 0·802). Poor α values were found only in Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire for CRO and ESP samples. Wilcoxon’s signed rank test showed significant differences only in the Mindful Eating Questionnaire sub-scale scores (overall: P = 0·002, effect size = −0·208 [moderate]; CRO: P = 0·005, effect size = 0·303 [moderate]). It can be concluded that the newly developed questionnaire had strong test–retest reliability. Further validity research in a larger sample of former combat sports athletes should be considered.

This study investigates the effects of replacing dietary casein by soya protein on the underlying mechanisms involved in the impaired metabolic fate of glucose and lipid metabolisms in the heart of dyslipidaemic rats chronically fed (8 months) a sucrose-rich (62·5 %) diet (SRD). To test this hypothesis, Wistar rats were fed an SRD for 4 months. From months 4 to 8, half the animals continued with the SRD and the other half were fed an SRD in which casein was substituted by soya. The control group received a diet with maize starch as the carbohydrate source. Compared with the SRD-fed group, the following results were obtained. First, soya protein significantly (P<0·001) reduced the plasma NEFA levels and normalised dyslipidaemia and glucose homoeostasis, improving insulin resistance. The protein levels of fatty acid translocase at basal state and under insulin stimulation and the protein levels and activity of muscle-type carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 were normalised. Second, a significant (P<0·001) reduction of TAG, long-chain acyl CoA and diacylglycerol levels was observed in the heart muscle. Third, soya protein significantly increased (P<0·01) GLUT4 protein level under insulin stimulation and normalised glucose phosphorylation and oxidation. A reduction of phosphorylated AMP protein kinase protein level was recorded without changes in uncoupling protein 2 and PPARα. Fourth, hydroxyproline concentration decreased in the left ventricle and hypertension was normalised. The new information provided shows the beneficial effects of soya protein upon the altered pathways of glucose and lipid metabolism in the heart muscle of this rat model.

In this paper, we decompose the difference between the weight of a child and the weight of a reference child into the difference between the height of the child and the height of the reference child and the difference between the weight per unit height of the child and the weight per unit height of the reference child. The decomposition provides the theoretical justification to the classification of the nutritional status proposed by Svedberg and by Nandy et al. An application of the decomposition framework to the Indian data shows that the level, depth and severity of the faltering of the growth of the body mass in Indian children are primarily due to the level, depth and severity of the faltering of the ponderal growth.